The miraculous from the material the science behind nature's wonders
"A gorgeously illustrated exploration of the science behind the universe's most stunning natural phenomena-from atoms and unicellular life to rainbows, snowflakes, spider webs, the rings of Saturn, galaxies, and more Nature is capable of extraordinary phenomena. Standing in awe of those phenomena, w...
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| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Pantheon Books,
[2024]
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| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: | |
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| Summary: | "A gorgeously illustrated exploration of the science behind the universe's most stunning natural phenomena-from atoms and unicellular life to rainbows, snowflakes, spider webs, the rings of Saturn, galaxies, and more Nature is capable of extraordinary phenomena. Standing in awe of those phenomena, we experience a feeling of connection to others, to wildlife, or to the cosmos. For acclaimed physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, just as remarkable is that all of what we see around us-from soap bubbles and scarlet ibses to shooting stars-are made out of the same material stuff, and obey the same rules and laws. This is what Lightman calls "spiritual materialism," the belief that we can embrace spiritual experiences without letting go of our scientific worldview. Pairing 36 beautiful, full-color photos evoking some of nature's most awe-inspiring phenomena with accessible, lyrical essays, The Miraculous from the Material explores the fascinating science underlying the natural world. Why do rainbows make an arc? Why does a particular waterfall at Yosimite National Park sometimes glow like it's on fire? How does a hummingbird fly? The world has so many things to marvel at-and the science is just as fascinating. Lightman journeys from the world of atoms and molecules to the animal kingdom, from places like Ha Long Bay, Vietnam and the Grand Canyon out to the solar system and beyond, illuminating the unbelievable majesty of the cosmos the remarkable science behind how it got to be the way it is. The Miraculous from the Material is a stunning, soaring ode to the beauty and wonder all around us"-- |
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| Physical Description: | 183 pages ; 22 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| ISBN: | 9780593701485 0593701488 |
| Author Notes: | In the 1980s, he found a way to combine his literary and scientific interests when he began to write essays about science. He explored astronomy, cosmology, particle physics, space exploration, and the life of a scientist, writing about these topics in a way that makes them understandable to the average reader. Many of his essays can be found in the collections Time Travel and Papa Joe's Pipe and A Modern-Day Yankee in a Connecticut Court and Other Essays on Science. He is the author of Ancient Light: Our Changing View of the Universe, which won the Boston Globe's 1991 Critics' Choice award for non-fiction; and is co-author of Origins: The Lives and Worlds of Modern Cosmologists, which received an award from the Association of American Publishers in 1990. In the 1990's, he branched out into fiction, although still with a focus on science. His novels include Einstein's Dreams, Good Benito, and The Diagnosis. (Bowker Author Biography) |
